Frequently AskedQuestions

What is an eligible expense? Which type of FSA is right for you? Are your dependents' expenses covered? Find answers to all your questions about your WageWorks Healthcare FSA.

Search Healthcare FSA FAQs

No Results

What is a Healthcare FSA?

A healthcare flexible spending account (FSA) allows you to pay for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses on a pre-tax basis. Money deducted from an employee's pay into an FSA is not subject to payroll taxes, resulting in substantial payroll tax savings.

This list is not all-inclusive. If you have questions regarding whether an expense is eligible or ineligible under a healthcare FSA, please log into your account for a complete list of expenses.

How is my Healthcare account funded?

Once you make your annual election during open enrollment, your employer will fully fund your account at the beginning of the plan year with your total election amount. Your employer will then deduct the election amount from your paychecks in equal amounts throughout the year.

What if I have money left in my account at the end of the year?

It depends on how your Healthcare FSA plan has been defined by your employer. Please log in to your WageWorks account to determine if you can carry over up to $500 remaining in your account at the end of your plan year, or if you have a 2.5-month grace period after your plan year ends to spend your remaining account balance.

If neither the carryover nor the grace period options are available for your account, you forfeit any money left in your Healthcare FSA at the end of your plan year. This "use-it-or-lose-it" rule is a provision of the IRS. That’s why it’s important to carefully estimate how much you plan to spend on eligible healthcare expenses for the year and select your annual election amount carefully.

The calculator can help you estimate your annual eligible healthcare expenses and select the Healthcare FSA election amount that’s right for you.

Can I change my election if I use up all the funds in my account before the end of the year?

Your election is irrevocable for the plan year unless you have a change in status or other qualified event as defined in the IRS Regulations and your plan permits such qualified changes.

What if I leave the company or retire during the year and still have money in my account?

You will be reimbursed for any eligible expense incurred before the date you retire or leave the company. Under IRS regulations, any remaining funds in the account must be forfeited. Any expenses you incur after the end of your employment is not eligible for reimbursement.

Who is authorized to speak to Customer Service about my account and what information are they allowed to access?

WageWorks takes its duty to protect your privacy seriously, and as a result we have a strict policy in place to safeguard your account and private information. While you can grant your spouse and dependents and those eligible to use your account limited access, you as the accountholder are the only one with full access and rights to your account and account settings.

Can a Domestic Partner's medical expenses be reimbursed?

An FSA account can only be used to pay expenses of a qualifying child or qualifying relative (as such terms are defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 152).At this time, a domestic partner is not considered a spouse under federal law, so a domestic partner's medical expenses cannot be reimbursed under a health FSA unless the domestic partner is a "qualifying relative" of the participant. A qualifying spouse must be legally married.

How do I submit a mileage claim?

The IRS has changed mileage reimbursement rates for medical care effective based on the date the service is incurred. Mileage for travel to / from eligible health care – on or after January 1, 2016 $.19 per documented mile.

Please include the following information with your mileage claim:

Date of Service

Type of Service (Doctor visit, trip to pharmacy, etc.)

Actual Mileage and rate (16 miles round trip @ $0.19/mile)

Total amount being requested (16 x .19 = $3.04).

Submit the claim for mileage along with a Pay Me Back claim or with the Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Claims will need to match the mileage reimbursement to a service and its date.

Many online mapping services will detail your route and mileage from home to service provider. This is helpful (but not required) in submitting mileage reimbursement claims.

Yes. However, because of the 2011 Health Care Reform Law, you will need to submit a doctor's statement with your reimbursement request verifying that the patient's diagnosis is obesity and that the OTC was prescribed to treat obesity.

Keep in mind, an FSA will not pay for the cost of food supported by a weight-loss program that substitutes normal nutritional needs.

What is a Letter of Medical Need or Doctor's Statement?

The IRS requires that medical expenses reimbursed through an FSA must be primarily for the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease.

For example, your doctor may prescribe a vitamin to treat your medical condition. Because vitamins are generally considered an ineligible expense, you will need a letter from your medical provider detailing the type of service rendered and the treatment necessary.

The grace period allows you additional time to spend the dollars that are in your FSA. Your employer must elect grace period in order for you to participate. To find out if your employer offers the grace period log into your account.

Can the WageWorks® Healthcare Card be used during the grace period ?

Employers that offer a grace period for an FSA plan can also offer the grace period on the Card.

The Card grace period feature will pay Card transactions made during the grace period from the participant's previous plan year balance, until those funds are exhausted, before making payments from the current new plan year account. Grace period on the Card is only available to participants that have an FSA enrollment for the new plan year.

What is the deadline for submitting a reimbursement request?

You can submit a reimbursement request at any time during the same plan year when the expense was incurred. You can also log into your account at any time to see how long you have to spend or claim your funds.

What is needed in an itemized receipt?

Five pieces of information are required to help ensure the approval of your claim. They are:

Patient: Person who received the service or who the item is for. For retail store purchases, this may be excluded.

Provider: Who delivered the service or if a purchase, where was the item purchased.

Date of Service: Date services occurred or date item was purchased.

Type of Service: Detailed description of what service or product was paid for. Bag Tag is sufficient for prescriptions.

Financial Responsibility: The amount paid for the service or product and/or the portion not reimbursed through your insurance carrier.

What is the deadline to set up, change or cancel “Pay My Provider” payments?

To request a Pay My Provider transaction, you must have your request in place 10 days prior to the date that you want us to mail out the payment. In addition, the payment mail date must be no more than 10 days prior to the service date.

Most likely, you had a Card transaction that needed additional verification. If WageWorks requests a receipt via the Card Use Verification form and you did not submit a receipt or repayment, then 90 days from the date of the Card transaction, WageWorks will deduct the amount of that transaction from any future Pay Me Back claim that you submit.

Ask a representative in your human resources organization if your employer has chosen to offer the new Healthcare FSA carryover feature, which allows you to carry over up to $500 of your unused Healthcare FSA balance into the next plan year.

Why do I need to submit documentation on some of my card transactions?

Some doctors’ offices, hospitals, and dentists perform services which would be considered ineligible for certain accounts.

Because the IRS requires us to obtain 100% verification of Healthcare Card transactions, we ask for itemized receipts for all transactions which we are not able to automatically approve. This is called Card Use Verification.